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Chris Gheysens
Chris Gheysens (born c. 1972) is an American businessman who serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Wawa Inc., a privately-held chain of convenience store / gas stations with nearly 700 locations along the East Coast of the United States. He grew up in Vineland, New Jersey and worked in his youth at car washes that his father owned.DiStefano, Joseph N. "Wawa's new boss", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 17, 2013. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Gheysens, who lives with his wife and four kids in Gloucester County, grew up in Vineland, where his father owned a string of Sparkle Kleen car washes."McGrath, Tom. "How Much Bigger Can Wawa Get? New CEO Chris Gheysens talks what’s next for the beloved convenience store chain.", Philadelphia (magazine), February 4, 2013. Accessed October 8, 2015. He attended St. Mary School in East Vineland and then moved on to St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, New Jersey, graduating in 1989.Staff. "Prep Grad Becomes CEO of Wawa", Prep Talk, February 8, 2013. Accessed October 8, 2015. "St. Augustine Prep alumnus Chris Gheysens (Class of 1989) recently took over as the CEO of Wawa, the largest convenience store chain in the Greater Philadelphia area."Laday, Jason. "As Wawa celebrates 50th anniversary, CEO remembers Vineland store", South Jersey Times, April 15, 2014. Accessed October 8, 2015. "'My dad would have a bunch of change from the car wash, and he was like the banker for everyone over there at the Wawa,' said Gheysens, a graduate of both St. Mary’s in East Vineland and St. Augustine College Preparatory School. 'South Jersey is a big part of Wawa, and it is definitely part of me — I grew up in Vineland, and my parents had a summer house in Sea Isle. I moved to Washington Township — or ‘Township’ as they call it — after marrying my wife, and we raised our four children there.' Gheysens, who currently resides in Burlington County, will be spending Wednesday morning at Wawa’s very first store, which opened in 1964 in Folsom, Pa., for a ceremony at 6 a.m." After earning a B.S. in accounting from Villanova University in 1993,Nicholson, Chris. "Driving Success Through Business Analytics: Wawa’s President Speaks to Students", Villanova Business, Summer 2012. Accessed October 8, 2015. Gheysens earned an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph's University in 2005,DiStefano, Joseph N. "The Long and Shorti of It", SJU Magazine, Summer 2012. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Wawa President Chris Gheysens ’05 (M.B.A.) wakes up and smells the coffee every day, whether he’s rallying management and store associates, sifting new-product sales and cost analytics, or pairing breakfast with a fresh-brewed cup.... Gheysens, a native of Vineland, N.J., whose father ran a chain of car washes, was taught compatible ideals in his own Catholic schooling — he graduated from St. Augustine Prep and Villanova University. " both located in Philadelphia.Batcha, Becky. "He's top 'goose' at chart-topping Wawa", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 27, 2015. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Q Your title is president and CEO, but your business card says 'lead goose.' Why do you prefer that? A That's just part of the Wawa way." His family would spend their summers in the Jersey Shore community of Sea Isle City.Cirilli, Kevin. "Next CEO Christopher T. Gheysens Explains Philly’s Wawa Love Affair; Plus: Bangin’ quesadillas, healthy eating options and the business’s expansion.", Philadelphia (magazine), April 23, 2012. Accessed October 8, 2015. "I have three brothers and grew up in South Jersey, spent my summers in Sea Isle, graduated from Villanova and then got my MBA at St. Joe’s." Career Gheysens worked for four years as an auditor in the Philadelphia office of Deloitte LLP, in Philadelphia."Executive Profile: Chris Gheysens", Bloomberg Business. Accessed October 8, 2015.Drake, Samantha. "Why Wawa’s CEO serves first and leads second; With a new 'lead goose' at its helm, Philly’s favorite convenience store is heading off growing pains with a laser focus on its values", Philadelphia Smart CEO, October 2013. Accessed October 8, 2015. Gheysens was hired by Wawa in 1997 and was named to serve as the company's its chief financial officer and chief administrative officer in 2007. In 2012 he was named as Wawa's president and became the chief financial officer in January 2013, after a 16-month-long transition from his predecessor, Howard Stoeckel.Kress, Melissa. "Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens Details His Year One ChecklistAfter a 16-month transition, he began his tenure armed with a six-point plan.", Convenience Store News, April 29, 2013. Accessed October 8, 2015. "In August 2011, Wawa Inc. began preparing for a leadership change. Former CEO Howard Stoeckel announced he would be retiring from his role and the Wawa, Pa.-based company tapped then-Chief Financial Officer Chris Gheysens to take the helm.... Even though his business cards read 'Lead Goose,' he stressed that the strategic planning process at the company is the result of teamwork." He is identified on his business card as "Lead Goose", a riff on the company's logo of a flying goose, a title that he describes as fitting in with the loose corporate culture at Wawa. Gheysens has overseen an extensive remodeling project for the company's stores to establish a "warmer tone" for customers, rollout of a mobile app and expansion into North Jersey and Florida. At the Villanova School of Business, Gheysens is a member of the dean's advisory committee. He has also been active with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross. In September 2013, Gheysens was named to the Economic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Gheysens traveled to Rome in 2015 as part of a delegation coordinating aspects of the papal visit to Philadelphia as part of Pope Francis' 2015 visit to North America. As one of the corporate sponsors of the World Meeting of Families, Wawa was contributing one million bottles of water for those participating at the event.Staff. "Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens Helping Plan Pope’s Visit", Convenience Store News, June 26, 2015. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Wawa Inc. CEO Chris Gheysens is one of 35 delegates in Rome, Italy, to hammer out logistics in advance of Pope Francis’ visit during the World Meeting of Families, taking place Sept. 22-27 here. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wawa will be a corporate sponsor of the event, and will be donating all food to volunteers, as well as 1 million bottles of water to attendees." He lived in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey before moving to Moorestown, New Jersey with his wife and four children.Monostra, Mike. "Wawa Planned to Open Near Moorestown Mall; The convenience store will be located at the former location of Classic Chevrolet.", Moorestown Patch. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens is a resident of Moorestown." References Category:1970s births Category:Living people Category:American accountants Category:Deloitte people Category:People from Moorestown, New Jersey Category:People from Sea Isle City, New Jersey Category:People from Vineland, New Jersey Category:People from Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey Category:Saint Joseph's University alumni Category:Villanova University alumni